Director, AI CoE Programs and Technical Delivery

Our Purpose
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Title And Summary
Director, AI CoE Programs and Technical Delivery

Overview
Mastercard's AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE) is leading a transformative journey to embed AI across the enterprise. As we scale Agentic AI and traditional AI/ML capabilities, we seek a Director of Programs and Technical Delivery to drive program management and delivery excellence across the AI CoE.

This role is pivotal in shaping how Mastercard delivers AI solutions that are not only technically sound but also deeply aligned with the needs of internal and external customers. You will help define and mature the delivery frameworks, governance models, and cross-functional engagement strategies necessary to support AI at scale. You will work closely with product, engineering, finance, HR, procurement, compliance, and business stakeholders to ensure that AI initiatives are delivered with speed, transparency, and strategic alignment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead AI-first program management across the AI CoE, applying agentic AI principles to streamline planning, tracking, and execution.
• Define and evolve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for AI CoE delivery workflows, ensuring clarity, consistency, and scalability.
• Standardize project artifacts and ceremonies in alignment with Mastercard's broader program management frameworks.
• Partner with AI CoE leadership and business stakeholders to identify and track AI initiatives, ensuring agility and rigor in execution.
• Champion a customer-centric delivery approach, incorporating the voice of internal and external customers into program/project planning, prioritization, and execution.
• Collaborate with product managers and technical program managers to ensure visibility into delivery status and alignment with team, group, and corporate KPIs.
• Manage standardization of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly AI CoE reporting requirements, leveraging an AI-first approach to status reporting workflows.
• Apply delivery benchmarks to assess and improve performance.
• Manage financial planning and tracking for AI CoE initiatives in partnership with Finance.
• Coordinate with Procurement to onboard suppliers and manage vendor relationships.
• Collaborate with HR to understand and support global resource needs for the AI business, including workforce planning, talent alignment, and capacity forecasting.
• Participate in and support global programs that foster engagement, culture, and collaboration across all AI CoE members.
• Navigate ambiguous and overlapping complex processes with confidence, identifying the most efficient paths forward by leveraging negotiation, relationships, and influence.
• Build trusted partnerships and collaborate across global organizations and teams, aligning diverse stakeholders toward shared delivery goals.
• Manage risks, issues, assumptions, and dependencies across a portfolio of global AI initiatives, ensuring proactive mitigation and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner in defining Mastercard's AI delivery model, recognizing the unique challenges of deploying AI in a regulated, global enterprise.

The Role

• Program Leadership: Builds inclusive, high-trust teams; coaches program managers and engineers; sets clear goals and recognizes excellence.
• Technical Delivery Excellence: Plans, sequences, and executes complex programs; removes roadblocks; delivers reliably.
• Customer Obsession: Anchors solutions in measurable user and business outcomes; actively listens to and integrates customer feedback.
• Communication: Explains complex concepts simply; adapts messaging for executives, partners, and engineers.
• Adaptability: Comfortable with ambiguity and emerging technologies; iterates and scales what works.
• Strategic Thinking: Understands the broader business context and aligns AI CoE delivery with Mastercard's transformation goals.
• Influence & Collaboration: Navigates complexity and organizational boundaries with diplomacy and clarity; builds alignment across global teams.

All About You

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Humanities, Data Science, or related fields (or equivalent practical experience).
• Proven experience in leveraging agentic AI tools to streamline every part of the process.
• Proven experience in program management and technical delivery, including financial oversight and vendor engagement.
• Experience working across global organizations, with a strong understanding of cross-cultural engagement and distributed delivery models.
• Understanding of vendor/platform evaluation and contract management for AI platforms, AI tooling, and foundation models.
• Proficiency with enterprise tools including Oracle Financials, Coupa Procurement, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and platforms such as Aha, Jira, Confluence, PowerBI, , and Microsoft Copilot.

Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly.

Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard's security policies and practices;
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard's guidelines.

In line with Mastercard's total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include: insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.

Pay Ranges
Remote - Arizona: $128,000 - $205,000 USD

Job Posting Window
Posting windows may change based on the volume of applications received and business necessity. Candidates are encouraged to apply expeditiously.